This document provides information about resources for older adults and caregivers in Wisconsin, including the Wisconsin Aging Network, county and tribal aging offices, Aging and Disability Resource Centers, advocacy organizations, and programs like Sip and Swipe Cafes and ElderTree. It summarizes the benefits of technology programs in reducing isolation and depression in older adults and connecting them to services, family, and each other through websites, classes, and peer support networks. Contact information is provided for several representatives and organizations implementing these programs.
12. ■ No Access or Equipment- you are the secret for
overcoming this. Set up a few tables, with a general area
around food, a couple of tables with signage, coach and
users and tablet. People get excited and the words start to
spread.
■ Lack of Skill with Electronics and Internet
■ Intimidation- Key is to recruit a few iPad and android
users. Ideal peer mentors, age 55 or older. Reinforces the
message of if I can do it, you can do it.
– It’s not a class, it’s an experience.
– 1 coach works with 1-2 people.
– The tablets are available at the center for
folks to use.
– Finding many people bring their own tablets
13. “Older Americans who regularly spent time online
were about a third less likely to suffer from
depression.” S.Cotton, Journal of Gerontology, 2014
Social isolation has been strongly linked to
■higher risk of premature death
■poor physical and mental health
■possibly cognitive decline
■higher rates of elder abuse
■2012 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
■2009 study using data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project.
■Exploring Interventions to Reduce Cognitive Decline in Aging; Kristine Williams, RN, PhD1 and Susan Kemper
■National Center on Elder Abuse
17. ■By having family members who are
comfortable with technology now
families will be able to stay better
connected.
■Older family members will be able
to remain in their own homes longer
as the connect with even distance
loved ones will be very personal.
■ElderTree offers many options…
21. ■ License for interactive teaching software:
■ Coach support Kit:
– 4- 1 hour or 2- 2 hour session
curriculum guide, checklists of
accomplishments, reminder tips strips,
and certificates of completion
■ Ongoing technical support
22. ■ Technology is the MEANS not the
goal
■ Encourage people to share their
wishes
■ Use the internet to help folks
research timely questions , such
as the pending storm or current
events in their area today
■ Do have learners TRY – don’t do
for them.
■ Simplify!
– Teach one way to do a skill task,
even when there are options
23. SIP & SWIPE IN
WISCONSIN
HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO BADER
PHILANTHROPIES
24. ADRC of Ozaukee County (8, 2
SC, 6, eateries )
Alice Baker Memorial Library (1)
ADRC of SW Wisconsin (1 SC) Johnson Creek Public Library (1)
ADRC of Waukesha County (3
church, housing unit, ADRC)
Watertown Public Library (1)
ADRC of Grant County (1 SC) Town Hall Library (1)
Whitewater Senior Center (3,
Library, CCRC and SC)
Muskego Public Library (1)
Fort Atkinson Senior Center (1) Lake Milles Public Library (1)
Grinnell Hall Senior Center (1)
27. ■ Libraries
■ Housing Units
■ Local Businesses
■ Senior Centers
■ ADRCs and Aging Units
■ Parish Nurses
■ Elder Tree
■ Grand Parents Raising Grandkids
■ Knitters Club
■ Possibilities are endless
29. Total sites 24
Senior Centers 7
Libraries 7
Eatery (3 McDonald’s/Dockside café/Panera) 6
ADRC (Aging and Disability Resource Center) 1
Church 1
Housing Unit 1
Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) 1
30. Innovative programs from Senior Centers
■Turn Senior Center into Hot Spot
■Use Volunteer coaches to help the homebound get
online
■Conduct tablet coaching at local public Wifi retail
outlets
Mary Stehling & Karen Retzer
at Sip & Swipe Café
held at McDonald’s
Restaurant in Fredonia WI
32. Pilot study results seniors centers
throughout Pennsylvania, Wisconsin
■ 100% would recommend Sip & Swipe to a friend
■ 80% mastered tablet device use, the Internet and
email in about 4 sessions, based on checklists
■ Most centers have waiting lists
■ Coach recruitment and cost of hardware are the
major issues – GoL stands ready to help
Mechanicsburg Place
Senior Center
34. A website just for older adults in Wisconsin.
Developed at
www.ElderTreeWisconsin.com
GWAAR Meeting - January 19, 2016
Presentation by: Scott Gatzke
35. www.ElderTreeWisconsin.com
Elder Tree is a collaboration between:
•CHESS & Active Aging Research Center
•State of Wisconsin
•Wisconsin Institute for Healthy Aging
•ADRCs of Eagle Country (Richland, Sauk, Juneau),
Waukesha and Milwaukee counties
Grant funding provided by:
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
37. What makes Elder Tree
different from social media
websites?
• Older adults helped design it
• No cost to use it
• No advertising or unwanted links
• No data sharing or selling
• Basic features = easier to use
38. Seniors are concerned about safety online.
We are too!
Elder Tree was designed to be a walled garden.
• No one outside of Elder Tree can
see or contact members unless they
invite them.
• Only the member’s anonymous
user name is shown to other Elder
Tree members.
• Only older adults 65 & over who live in Wisconsin can join.
• Members are enrolled by a real
person. (UW staff or a Community
Administrator)
41. Posted by namadoris Oct 3, 2014 at 3:56 PM
I have a 2013 Honda CRV. What
do I have to do to winterize it? My
husband always took care of
these things.
Posted by bobsweet Oct 3, 2014 at 11:11 PM
Take it to a garage and ask them to test the antifreeze, to
what degree below zero it is good for. Have them check the
hoses also.
Did your husband keep any service logs on the vehicle. Like
tune-ups, radiator serviced, oil changes, brakes, transmission
fluid and so on? If he did you could use that information.
Usually anti- freeze should be changed every two years, with a
new thermostat.
Participants helping each other…
www.ElderTreeWisconsin.com
42. Users are reporting a decrease in feelings of isolation and loneliness.
"Since my husband died, I rarely get out of my house and Elder
Tree has saved me." - Richland Center Member
"Elder Tree has connected me with people who are going through
the same challenges as me. We are there for each other. . . I like
that." - Richland Center Member
"Since my husband died, I rarely get out of my house and Elder
Tree has saved me." - Richland Center Member
"Elder Tree has connected me with people who are going through
the same challenges as me. We are there for each other. . . I like
that." - Richland Center Member
www.ElderTreeWisconsin.com
How is Elder Tree
benefiting older
adults?
44. For more information visit
www.ElderTreeWisconsin.com
or contact
Scott Gatzke
608-262-0624
scott.gatzke@wisc.edu
45. Many older adults thought that they
might get through life with out
needing to have this knowledge, but
life (in the tech world) is moving at
breakneck speed. It will probably
not be long and we will need to be
able to do many things only on-
line…
46. Helping the older adults in
your communities learn tablet
technology can enable them
to be connected, involved,
and more independent.
Elder Tree is a website just for older adults who live in Wisconsin. It was developed at the University of Wisconsin–Madison by the Active Aging Research Center. Their mission is to develop ways to help older adults stay independent.
In 2011, the Active Aging Research team started towards the goal of developing a technology that will help older adults remain independent, living in their home as long as possible.
In 2011, the Active Aging Research team started towards the goal of developing a technology that will help older adults remain independent, living in their home as long as possible.
What makes Elder Tree different from social media websites?
There is no cost to use the website.
There is no advertising or unwanted links to other websites trying to sell something.
There is no data sharing or selling.
Older adults helped design the website – they said give us only the features we really need.
Elder Tree’s focus on just the basic features needed for communication and information, makes it much less confusing than social media sites and therefore, it’s much easier to use.
The number one issue for older adults when going online is the fear of being scammed. That’s why Elder Tree was designed to be a “walled garden” website…meaning we want to maintain some control over who is joining the website.
Therefore, members are enrolled by a real person who is either a UW staffer or a local Community Administrator, such as a staff or volunteer from an ADRC, library, church, senior center, social service or civic group.
Only older adults age 65 and over are allowed to join.
No one outside of Elder Tree can see or contact you unless you invite them.
Only the anonymous user name you chose is shown to Elder Tree members.
Once an Elder Tree account has been activated, a member sees the Elder Tree homepage when they log in. All information on the site is contained in the four boxes. This is designed to keep the website easy to use and the text large.
Elder Tree is on its 7th version and many of the improvements and changes have come from feedback and suggestions from older adult users of the website.
Personal is where you will find the “to-do reminder” and “health tracker” features.
Information is where you will find a community “bulletin board” for posting local announcements, events, or even recipes. There is also listings of local “resources”; “active living tips”; and a “map your trip” feature which will create a driving route with the fewest left-hand turns, to any destination you choose. (Note: The majority of driving accidents occur making a left-hand turn.)
Conversations is where all the discussion boards are located and it is one of the most popular features on Elder Tree.
Let’s click on Conversations…
Each of these buttons is a discussion board. “Just Chatting” is a for all members of Elder Tree from across the state. The button below it is a “county” discussion board for members living in that county (this button is based on the members zip code). There are specific topic discussion boards such as preventing a fall; caregiving support; etc. Community Administrators can create a “custom group” for any group of seniors in a community. The example you see here is for a Senior Center Book Club. Another example would be a local Caregiver Support Group. It could be any group and it’s a great way for members to stay connected in between their face-to-face meetings.
Let’s click on “Just Chatting” which is the most popular discussion board on Elder Tree…
Elder Tree members are also connecting and sharing their knowledge with each other. In this post, a member asks for car maintenance advice and receives an answer the same day. Other members have asked questions about their upcoming cataract surgery. One woman had no way to get home from the hospital after having knee surgery and a couple on Elder Tree offered to pick her up.
How is Elder Tree benefiting older adults? Among the heaviest users of Elder Tree – those who are home bound or living in rural communities – they are reporting a decrease in feelings of isolation and loneliness. Two different Elder Tree members from Richland Center stated: "Since my husband died, I rarely get out of my house and Elder Tree has saved me." "Elder Tree has connected me with people who are going through the same challenges as me. We are there for each other. . . I like that.“ This is significant because loneliness is a common source of distress, suffering and impaired quality of life in older persons.
When you go to www.ElderTreeWisconsin.com, the first thing you will see is this screen. It is not the Elder Tree website, it is simply a landing page with information about Elder Tree. Anyone can view this information. If you know of someone who might be interested in Elder Tree for themselves, a family member or friend, this is where you want to send them. The “About Elder Tree” button has a short video which shows how Elder Tree works. The “What Members Say” button has a video where actual members share their experiences using the Elder Tree website. People interested in spreading Elder Tree in their community can click “I’m a community organizer interested in Elder Tree” and they can learn how to become a “community administrator” for Elder Tree which will allow them to active new member accounts and create custom groups.
To become a member, simply click on the button and start your account. Let’s do that now…
That’s a brief overview of Elder Tree. For more information, go to the ElderTreeWisconsin.com website or you can call the UW-Madison team the number listed.
(NOTE: Community Administrators giving this presentation can feel free to add their contact information if they so choose.)